CrowdStrike has added multiple partnerships in MDR, cloud security, AI enhancements, and more to allow MSPs to expand enterprise-level security and services to the SMB market. The company is building on its foundation of nearly 8,000 employees and 32 worldwide locations — including its Austin, TX, headquarters.
Daniel Bernard
“We have over 500 ISD partnerships, and we work with most of the leading cybersecurity resellers and service providers in the industry,” said CrowdStrike Chief Business Officer Daniel Bernard. “CrowdStrike really has become a cybersecurity ecosystem, and we want everybody in our crowd.”
Strategic Alliances, Enhanced Solutions
Some of CrowdStrike’s recent collaborations include:
- Partnering with NinjaOne to add its endpoint management solution and the CrowdStrike Falcon platform.
- Expanding its partnership with eSentire’s managed security operations with Falcon.
- Working with Ignition Technology’s Nordic partners base in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland.
Industry analyst firm TechAisle LLC predicted SMB and cybersecurity spending will hit $90 billion in 2024, up 9.4% from 2023, focusing on endpoint, MDR, and identity management. CrowdStrike offerings cover those needs closely.
Case Study: TeraCloud’s Experience
Eric Long
Dallas-based TeraCloud is one company has benefited by using CrowdStrike. TeraCloud has about 30 employees spread across metro Dallas, Houston, Tampa Bay, FL, and Tulsa, OK.
“We’ve used several security aggregation vendors,” noted TeraCloud Founder Eric Long. “Sometimes the bigger vendor’s contracts don’t always understand SMB all that well. If we lose a client with 250 devices, we have to scramble to make that up to keep our volume pricing. Or we get stuck with licenses that aren’t deployed but we still have to pay for.”
Expertise Adapted for SMBs
CrowdStrike is leveraging its enterprise expertise for the benefit of SMBs, added Bernard. “We’re retaining the technology used by the world’s largest and more sophisticated companies, and bringing it to the SMB market in the way the customer wants.”
In addition, CrowdStrike’s extensive cybersecurity platform offers advantages to IT services providers, said Doug Cahill, an independent consultant and analyst advising technology companies on go-to-market strategies and execution. “[It represents] multiple opportunities from which MSPs can expand their set of offerings to maximize the long-term value of their customers.”
Antoine Jebara
Antoine Jebara, co-founder and general manager of MSP business at JumpCloud, said this method offers plenty of advantages for services providers. “Strategic security relationships like those with CrowdStrike let MSPs offer a layered security approach. This better helps them meet client’s security and compliance needs.”
Flexible Security Solutions for Diverse Needs
A large security integrator like CrowdStrike allows MSPs to mix and match applications to follow the “best of breed” philosophy while maintaining the cost savings and simplified management defined client stacks offer.
“Some bundles are white labeled,” explained Long. “We’re careful with the customer-facing products because the users become familiar with a particular interface. But apps like EDR and MDR and backup aren’t used directly by the user.”
Long includes six to eight vendor options for his customers, and relies on those vendors so he doesn’t have to manage his own SOC.
Doug Cahill
That fits perfectly with CrowdStrike’s approach, according to Bernard. “Falcon Complete is our SOC service. We’re totally agnostic. If a customer wants to consume SOC services through an MSP or MSSP, that’s great. If they want to use our services that are delivered on top of it, great. We become the SOC for the MSP.”
Because SMB customers often change faster than enterprise clients, Long looks for flexibility in the contracts. “We like deals for less than three years, so we can pull or replace products if needed.”
Adding Value Leads to Higher Margins
MSPs can complement services to add value for clients by leveraging CrowdStrike technologies. This will justify higher pricing — yielding higher margins, said Cahill.
“Services that represent a more holistic offering will, of course, better serve customers and help differentiate MSP offerings. Such services could include quarterly reviews of findings with key stakeholders, continuous asset discovery for exposure management currency, briefings on the latest trends in the threat landscape, on-going end-user awareness training, and more.”
Jebara agreed. “Typically, we see this as a premium when MSPs are packaging services to clients giving them a bit more margin.”
Today, Bernard concluded, “It’s an EDR or XDR-focused world powered by AI, built on the cloud for the cloud, and all those descriptions are what CrowdStrike created in this market.”
Featured image: iStock
